The Spook

[jbt]

Does anyone have more information on The Spook ride from Coney Island? I've found one picture of the exterior. Would love to see more pictures or even video.

[CoastersRZ]

http://coneyislandcentral.com/photo/albums/userpics/10001/spook.jpg

http://coneyislandcentral.com/photo/albums/userpics/10001/Spook-Ride-Coney-1961.jpg

[jbt]

Thanks for the pics. Is this all there is of The Spook? Any idea what it was like inside the ride?

[Coney Islander]

Defunct dark rides tend to be very poorly documented. I'd be tickled to find interior pictures of any of Coney Island's dark rides. (Though, the park has had quite a few dark rides and walk-through attractions throughout its history.)

In addition to that, evidence suggests there were some (probably concessionaire owned and operated) dark rides and walk-through attractions in the late 1800s and during the Great Depression that got no documentation whatsoever.

Let me see how many documented dark ride and walk-through attractions I can name right off: Laff in the Dark, Bluebeard's Castle, Devil's Kitchen, Noah's Ark, Hall of Mirrors, Showboat, Haunted House, The Spook, The Jungle... I'm sure I'm missing some.

[jbt]

I'm reading the Cincinnati's Coney Island book. Is The Spook the same thing as Spook House (which, apparently, later became Bat Cave)? The Rotor ride looked fun!

[Coney Islander]

Yes.

Source: http://www.coneyislandpark.com/history.php

[pilotank]

The Spook was added in 1960 according to CCI, along with four other rides.

It was designed by Arrow Development Company which manufactured many of

Disneylands attractions. Another tie-in to Walt Disney!

http://www.mv-voice....history726.html

They made their name with roller coasters.

Here are some of their milestones according to Wikipedia:

• 1959: The world's first tubular steel track coaster, Matterhorn Bobsleds, at Disneyland. [1]
  
• 1966: The world's first mine train roller coaster, featuring the world's first underwater tunnel, the Runaway Mine Train at Six Flags Over Texas.[2]
  
• 1975: The world's first modern inverting coaster, Corkscrew, at Knott's Berry Farm. [3]
  
• 1976: The world's first coaster with 3 inversions, Corkscrew at Cedar Point.
  
• 1977: The world's first coaster with consecutive vertical loops, Double Loop, at Geauga Lake. [4]
  
• 1978: The world's first interlocking loops, Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
  
• 1980: The world's first coaster with 4 inversions, Carolina Cyclone at Carowinds.
  
• 1981: The world's first modern suspended coaster, The Bat, at Kings Island. [5]
  
• 1982: The world's first coaster with 5 inversions, Viper at Darien Lake.
  
• 1984: The world's first successful suspended coaster, XLR-8 at Six Flags Astroworld and Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens Williamsburg
  
• 1987: The world's first coaster with 6 inversions, The Vortex at Kings Island.
  
• 1988: The world's first coaster with 7 inversions, Shockwave at Six Flags Great America.
  
• 1989: The world's first Hypercoaster, Magnum XL-200, at Cedar Point. [6].
  
• 1994: The world's tallest, steepest and fastest coaster, Pepsi Max Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in Great Britain.
  
• 2002: The world's first 4th dimension coaster, X, at Six Flags Magic Mountain. [7]
  

According to CCI, riders were rapidly transported in four-seater cars that replicated old time automobiles

through a series of scary and comical stunts before ending in daylight.

pilotank

[jbt]

It sounds like The Spook may have been similar to haunted house rides at state fairs. Would still love to see the inside of the ride!

Thanks,

jb

[westcoaster]

It would be great if anything from coney could be found on their dark rides for sure!!!!!

Could you imagine just a couple of dark rides added to the park up north would be.

Or if coney added a new family relaxing dark ride no shoot em ups, costly for a coney sized park I'm sure:

[burlguy41005]

On the haunted houses, I wonder why they did not relocate the attraction with the other rides to KI?

[shark6495]

Well they did move the puppets ad built the brand new Hannah Barbara boat ride, along with the moved flats, maybe it was thought as not needed.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NickL]

I had the childhood pleasure of riding the Coney Island (Cincinnati) haunted house ride.   To this day it is the best haunted house ride I have ever been on.   You rode in a car and travelled through a house from basement to attic that was inhabited by skeletons and other scary monsters which were life sized and realistically posed.   It had plenty of cobwebs and old creepy furniture.  Everything was well done, and no cheesy effects except for the obligatory pop out scare as you went out the last door.  I recall at some point the car you were in travelled outside the house for a brief moment and went then back in--a truly scary (thrilling) moment for a kid!   What distinguished it from many rides is that it looked just like the inside of real haunted house--sort of like the Addams Family house on TV.  It was a beautiful, fun and spooky ride.  I hope more photos videos of it surface.    

Edited March 16, 2022 by NickL
to identify the ride.

[beastfan11]

23 hours ago, NickL said:

I had the childhood pleasure of riding the Coney Island (Cincinnati) haunted house ride.   To this day it is the best haunted house ride I have ever been on.   You rode in a car and travelled through a house from basement to attic that was inhabited by skeletons and other scary monsters which were life sized and realistically posed.   It had plenty of cobwebs and old creepy furniture.  Everything was well done, and no cheesy effects except for the obligatory pop out scare as you went out the last door.  I recall at some point the car you were in travelled outside the house for a brief moment and went then back in--a truly scary (thrilling) moment for a kid!   What distinguished it from many rides is that it looked just like the inside of real haunted house--sort of like the Addams Family house on TV.  It was a beautiful, fun and spooky ride.  I hope more photos videos of it surface.    

Been curious about this ride for a while. Really appreciate your memories, here. You typically don’t hear a lot about this ride. Very cool!